COLUMBUS — If the Internet served as Ohioans' only supplier of political advertising, the race for governor would be between two cartoon characters called “TaftQuack” and “Taxin' Tim.”

        Lacking the money to buy TV commercials, Cuyahoga County Democrat Tim Hagan has broken with tradition, investing what cash he has in Internet messages that challenge Gov. Bob Taft's record. His outrageous and comical “ads” feature the governor's head on the body of a talking, squawking duck named TaftQuack.

Gov. Taft and Tim Hagan are fighting it out on the Internet. (Randy Mazzola art) | ZOOM (PDF file) |

        Mr. Taft has fired back with his Internet 'toon: “Taxin' Tim Goes to the Track.” It shows an animated Mr. Hagan who bankrupts the state when he plays a racetrack slot machine, part of his 180-day plan to balance the state budget.

        The governor also is spending millions to beam campaign ads into televisions across the state.

        With no TV presence and without something exciting to get voters online, experts who design and monitor Internet campaigns are calling Mr. Hagan's Internet strategy a lame duck.

        “The Internet is not a miracle worker,” said Michael Cornfield, a George Washington University professor who studies online campaigns. “It can help coordinate what a campaign is doing on television, on the ground and through the mail. It's not a substitute.”

        Recent polls and surveys, however, show more voters are tuning out televised political pitches and turning on computers to learn about candidates. That makes an Internet strategy a gamble Hagan campaign director Jerry Austin is willing to take.

        “There's no question that this is the future of campaigning,” Mr. Austin said. “The question is, are we too far ahead of the curve?”

        A more fundamental question concerns money. Mr. Taft, who has an $8.4 million re-election fund, can spend $14 for every $1 Mr. Hagan has. An effective television ad blitz could easily cost $2 million to $3 million, many times more than the $600,000 Mr. Hagan has in his pockets.

        Mr. Taft's Web site, www.governortaft.com, features the “Taxin' Tim” cartoon and is “definitely an important part of our campaign strategy,” said spokesman Orest Holubec.

        “We think a traditional campaign strategy is still effective,” he added

        The governor's third campaign commercial is already appearing on television morning shows and news broadcasts. In it, the governor pledges to bring more high-tech, high-skilled jobs to Ohio, “the kind of jobs where people can support their families.”

        Mr. Hagan's ads, at www.taftquack.com, feature an animated duck sporting the governor's face with a duckbill replacing his nose. The creature yells “Taft Quack!” and in one segment flaps its wings as it “ducks” questions at a cartoon press conference.

        The taftquack Web site features links to Mr. Hagan's main campaign site, “timhaganforgovernor.com,” and buttons viewers can click to donate time and money. Another Web site, “firetaft.com” features several “Top 10” lists of reasons why voters should pick him over Mr. Taft.

        Mr. Hagan's ad Web site was viewed by about 8,000 unique visitors in its first 12 days, according to campaign spokesman Austin Jenkins.

        Candidates almost need a separate advertising campaign to get people to look at their Internet ads, said Phil Smith, a former Republican National Party fund raiser and current president of Captel.net. The Washington, D.C., consulting firm offers Internet and telemarketing services to GOP candidates.

        “People who are truly motivated will look up a candidate's Web site,” Mr. Smith said. “Most voters prefer to take their information passively, through the television.

        “They're not going to this site,” he concluded. “That's a lot of work.”

        Mr. Cornfield, who viewed Mr. Hagan's Internet ads, said they are intended to be outrageous to draw free media attention. Voters would pick up the Web site address by reading stories about the ads or by seeing them on television.

        Of those who actually watch the ad, the hope is some will become volunteers or contributors.

        Mr. Taft's campaign deliberately says very little about the ads. Mr. Cornfield said that's a good policy, because any discussion of the ads would only alert more voters that they exist. It's also not clear if the governor's “Taxin' Tim” ad will effectively counter Mr. Hagan's Web site or simply draw more attention to Mr. Hagan's campaign.

        While the governor has been silent, a Georgia-based insurance company may be giving Mr. Hagan all the attention he needs.

        The American Family Life Assurance Company, better known as AFLAC, is suing Mr. Hagan for trademark and copyright infringement, claiming the “TaftQuack” character too closely resembles its AFLAC duck.

        News stories comparing the Hagan and AFLAC ads have run throughout Ohio, with numerous mentions of Mr. Hagan's Web site.

        There'll be more attention Oct. 10, when both sides are back in a Cleveland courtroom to argue over the ads.

        While analysts doubt an Internet advertising strategy will succeed, none dispute that Web pages and e-mails are becoming increasingly important to candidates. A December 2000 survey conducted by Mr. Cornfield for George Washington University showed more than one in three Americans who are online used computers to learn more about candidates and campaigns. That's up from one in four people in 1998.

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